Operational Agility and Sustainability at Scale

Overview

In the fast-evolving telecom landscape, a leading European provider set out to transform how they deliver, operate and innovate, driven by a vision to build a sustainable digital future. Over the years, this ambition has turned the organization into a benchmark for operational excellence.

With HCLTech as a trusted transformation partner this vision was translated into reality through modernized systems, sustainable practices and a future-ready model.

Vision

Turning operational goals into sustainable impact

The telecom provider aimed to create an operational backbone that could power innovation and sustainability at scale. Their objectives were clear:

Ensure network and IT reliability to deliver consistent customer experience.
Reduce operational and IT costs while resolving legacy challenges and technical debt.
Drive private cloud efficiency to optimize resources and performance.
Advance sustainability goals aligned with carbon neutrality targets.
Build a resilient foundation for the adoption of next-gen services such as 5G, IoT and edge computing.

This vision wasn’t just about modernization, it was about resilience, responsibility and readiness for the future.

The Challenge

Navigating complexity to build a future-ready operation

Operating in one of Europe’s most competitive and tightly regulated telecom markets, our client recognized an urgent need to evolve their operational landscape and set new industry benchmarks. Smarter, integrated systems are driving greater agility and enabling sustainable ways of working by replacing fragmented legacy processes and manual workflows.

The path forward was clear: move beyond managing complexity to mastering operational excellence through unified technology, strong governance and continuous innovation.

Transformation Blueprint

From stability to sustainability

Partnering with HCLTech, the client reimagined their operational model around three core principles—stability, automation and sustainability. This co-engineered transformation empowered their teams and set a new benchmark for operational excellence.

Building a culture of reliability
To ensure uninterrupted service, client implemented a “Zero Human-Induced Incident” framework, embedding an Ops Stability First mindset across operations.
Change management was strengthened through “Change with Control” governance and rigorous pre-release validation—ensuring predictability, control and confidence in every deployment.
Reinventing operations through intelligent automation
A hybrid agile-lean delivery model was introduced to combine speed with structure.
Repetitive operational tasks were automated, achieving over 90% First Time Right outcomes.
By applying the “Ask 5 Whys → Fix Once, Fix Forever” principle, the team moved from reactive fixes to proactive, intelligent automation—elevating operational efficiency.
Enabling AI-driven decision intelligence
The client began integrating Agentic AI frameworks within their operations to shift from deterministic to probabilistic decision-making.
Early pilots in predictive incident management and automated validation enhanced observability, creating a foundation for an AI-driven operations ecosystem.
Optimizing cost and reducing technical debt
Modernizing legacy platforms realized 40% reduction in IT costs over five years.
Through workload rationalization and capacity planning, private cloud operations became more efficient.
The organization also achieved a 15% annual reduction in technical debt, creating room for reinvestment and innovation.
Embedding sustainability at the core
For the Telecom major sustainability was not an afterthought, it was an integral part of their transformation.
With green data center technologies, they reduced carbon emissions by nearly 30%, aligning with their carbon neutrality roadmap.
Energy-efficient practices became standard across operations, which is a direct reflection of their commitment to a responsible digital future.
Aligning business and technology for growth
A unified vision was brought to life through initiatives like “One Corpo – Move to Azure,” aligning business goals with IT priorities.
Rolling-wave planning ensured investments and capacity scaled with business growth, reinforcing a culture of continuous alignment and agility.

The Impact

Zero defect, zero delay, zero doubt - redefining what’s possible

This transformation became a defining chapter, demonstrating how vision, collaboration and innovation can reimagine service delivery at scale.

The partnership not only optimized operations but created a model of excellence that inspires the industry.

Operational resilience:
Zero human-induced incidents now ensure uninterrupted, reliable service.
Performance and efficiency:
A 15% drop in MTBF and 40% optimization in IT costs have boosted reliability and agility across operations.
Sustainable growth:
A 30% reduction in carbon footprint reflects a deep commitment to responsible transformation.
Continuous modernization:
Ongoing technical debt reduction of 15% year-on-year enables reinvestment in emerging technologies.
Future-ready innovation:
With a stable, AI-driven foundation, the provider is accelerating 5G, IoT and edge adoption—setting new benchmarks for intelligent operations.

Through this transformation, the telecom provider has set a new standard for operational excellence—where stability fuels innovation, and sustainability drives growth.